GOP Seems Prepared to Move Ahead with Bush Prescription Drug Tax

Say it isn't so! House Republicans are prepared to go along with the Bush administration and begin financially penalizing millions of American seniors who don't choose a drug plan by May 15th.

Imagine that----we still have millions of seniors surviving on fixed incomes, often making such desperate decisions between medicine and food. And now, House Republicans are prepared to add to that financial burden by instituting a tax they will be forced to pay every month for the rest of their lives.

If this Congress does not step in this week, more than five million seniors will face a Bush prescription drug tax when they finally decide to sign up for a drug plan after the May 15th deadline.

What is so magical about May 15th? The Bush administration made numerous mistakes during the first months of implementation that made choosing the right plan even more burdensome. Those mistakes have not yet been corrected. A GAO report released last week shows that 60-percent of the information from 1-800-MEDICARE or from the Medicare website is still incorrect. Why wouldn't the president and his Congressional friends want to help confused seniors out by giving them seven more months to pick the plan that is best for them?

House Democrats are ready to extend the deadline. Republicans now only have five minutes to join us in making the right choice.